Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-09-17

you think it might hurt their feelings, ehl
One doesn't like to be rough, you see; and
they look regular blues, don't they, ehl"
By this time Good had already begun his
lessons with the handsomest of the three, and
SO with sigh / yielded. That day every
thing went very well; the young ladies were
certainly very clever, and they only smiled
when we Numbered. / never saw Good so
attentive to his books before, and even Sir
Henry appeared to tackle Zu-Vendi with
renewed zest "Ah," thought 1, "wiil it al
ways be thusg'
Next day we were much more lively; our
work was pleasingly inters persed with ques-
tons about our native country, what the Ia
dies were like there, etc, all of which we an
swered as best we could in Zu-Vendi. and
heard Good assuring his teacher that her love-
illness was to the beauties of Europe as the sun
to the moon; to which she replied with little
toss of the head that she was plain teaching
woman and nothing else, and that it was not
Kind ito deceive a poor girl So" Then we
had little singing that was really charming,
so natural and unaffected. The Zu-Vendi
love songs are most touching. On the third
day we were all quite intimate. Good mar
rated some Of his previous love affairs to his
fair teacher, and so moved was she
that her signs mingled with his own. dis
coursed with mine, = merry, blue eyed girl,
upon u-Vendian art and never saw that she
was waiting for an opportunity to drop a
specimen of the cockroach tribe down my
back, while in the corner Sir Henry and his
governess appeared, so far as l could judge,
to be going through lesson framed on the
great educational principles laid down by
Wackford Squeers, Esq, though in a very
modified or rather spiritualized form. The
lady softly repeated the Zu-Vendi word for
"hand, }" and he took hers; "eyes," and he gazed
deep into her brown orbs; "lps," and-but
just at that moment my young lady dropped
the cockroach down my back and ran away
laughing Now, il there is one thing loath
more than another it Is cockroaches and
moved quite beyond myself, and yet laugh
ing at her impudence, took up the cushion
she had been sitting on and threw it after
her. Imagine then my shame, my horror
and my distress, when the door opened and,
attended by two guards only, in walked Ny
leptha. The cushion could not be recalled
lit missed the girl and hit one of the guards
on the head, but instantly and Intellectually
tried to look as though / had not thrown it.
Good ceased his signing, and began to muir
der Zu-Vendi at the top of his voice, and Sir
Henry whistled and looked silly As for the
poor girls, they were utterly dumfounded
And Nyleptha she drew herself up till her
frame seemed to tower even above that of the
tall guards, and her face went first red and
then pale as death
"Guards," she said, in quiet, choked
voice, and pointing at the fair but uncon-
scious disciple of Wackford Squeers, "slay
me that woman"
The men hesitated, as well they might.
"Will we do my biddinga" she said, again in
the same voice. cor will ye notl'
Then they advanced upon the girl with
uplifted spears. BY this time Sir Henry had
recovered himself, and saw that the comedy
was likely to turn into tragedy.
"Stand backl" he said, in voice of thun-
der, at the same time getting in front of the
terrified girl "Shame on thee, Nyleptha-
shame Thou shalt not kill her."
Doubtless thou hast good reason to try to
protect her. Thou couldst hardly do less in
honor" answered the Infatuated queen; "but
she shall die-she shall die" and she stamped
her little foot.
at is well, he answered; "then will die
with her. | am thy servant, o queen; do
with me even as thou wilt and he bowed to-
ward her, and fixed his clear eyes contemptu-
ously on her face.
Il could wish to STAY thee, too" she an
swered "for thou dost make mock of me-"
and then feeling that she was mastered, and
I suppose not knowing what else to do, she
burst into such storm of tears, and looked
so royalty lovely in her passionate distress
that, old as l am, must say envied Curtis
his task of supporting her. 1t was rather odd
to see him holding her in his arms considering
what had just passed; thought that seemed
to occur to herself, for presently she wrenched
herself free and went, leaving us all much
disturbed
Presently, however, one of the guards re-
turned with a message to the girls that they
were, on pain of death, TO leave the city and
return to their homes in the country, and that
no further harm would come to them; and
accordingly they WENT one of them remark
ing philosophically that it could not be
helped, and that it Yves satisfaction to know
that they had taught us little serviceable
Zu-Vendi. Mine was an exceedingly nice
GIRL and, overlooking the cockroach, made
her a present of my favorite lucky sixpence
with hole in it when she went away After
that our former masters resumed their course
of instruction, needless TO say to my great
relief
That night, when in fear and trembling we
attended the royal supper table, we found
that Nyleptha was laid up with bad head
ache. That headache lasted for three whole
days; but on the fourth she was present at
supper as usual, and with the most gracious
and sweet smile gave Sir Henry her hand to
lead her TO the table No allusion was made
to the little affair described above beyond her
saying, with a charming dir Of innocence,
that when she came to see us at our studies
the other day she bad been seized with giddi-
ness from which she had only now recovered.
She supposed, she added, with the touch Of
the humor that was common to her, that it
was the sight OF people working so hard which
had affected her.
In reply Sir Henry said, dryly, that he had
thought She did not look quite herself on that
day whereat she flashed one Of those quick
glances OF hers at him, which, if be had the
feelings Of a man, must have gone through